diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 224f6c1..996d059 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 vendor/
 dist/
+admin@paralus.local.json
diff --git a/pkg/commands/create_user.go b/pkg/commands/create_user.go
index b29aa30..269cc5f 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/create_user.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/create_user.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package commands
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/paralus/cli/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/paralus/cli/pkg/group"
@@ -39,6 +40,9 @@ func (o *CreateUserOptions) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	Username := args[0]
 
+	if !strings.Contains(Username, "@") || !strings.Contains(Username, ".") {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid email format: expected something like user@example.com")
+	}
 	err := CreateUser(cmd, Username, o.Groups, o.ConsoleAccessInputs)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/user/user.go b/pkg/user/user.go
index 8a6ce72..0436497 100644
--- a/pkg/user/user.go
+++ b/pkg/user/user.go
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func CreateUser(usr *userv3.User) error {
 	uri := "/auth/v3/users"
 	resp, err := auth.AuthAndRequest(uri, "POST", usr)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("user creation failed: %v", err)
 	}
 	var ur userv3.User
 	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(resp), &ur); err != nil {